Apparatus for producing symmetrical generally ellipsoidal capsules



A. M. DONOFRIO A RATUS FOR PRODUCING SYMMETRICAL Dec. 22, 1953 NERALLY ELLIPSOIDAL CAPSULES Filed NOV. 7, 1949 INVENTOR.

ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO BY i ATTOR EYS Patented Dec. 22, 1953 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING, SYMMETRIF. cAL' GENERA LY: ELLIPSOIDAL CAPSULES Alfonso M. Donofrio', Toledo, Ohio, assignor, by

mesne: assignments, to American. Cyanamuly N. Y., a. corporati n. f

any; New Y rk Maine.

Original application December 26, 1946, Serial No. 718,527; Divided and" this applicationNovemberfii, 1149,-" Serial No. 126,026

13 Claims.

is app ications-a; divisi n: of. my Qo-pendme application Ser. No. 71.8;5277, now Patent No. 2,513,852 andv relates; toapparatusfor encapsulating various kinds. of substances capsules formed from elastic sheet material; and; in particular, to apparatu s,.-i or the high speed. manu: facture of gelatin capsules containing paste or liquid pharmaceutical or medicinal materials.

. In my co-pending, now, issued Patent No. 2,513,852 there is disclosedamethod; for the pro! duction of symmetrical, generally ellipsoidal gelatin capsules.whichineludes.the stepsof forming pockets in a. sheet of. elasticcapsulatingmaterial, filling the. pockets; with the material to be encapsulated, sealing the pockets: with a second sheet of capsulating. m lt'erialwhichis maintained generally fiat. and-1. unpocketed, sea-ling. the, two sheets; of gelatinous or other elastic material together around the-margins. of the. pockets and then cutting the. sheets of material around the margins of seals to release the capsules thus formed from the Web of material. By virtue of the fact that only one of the sheets of material is pocketed; and thus isunder much greater stress than that sheet of the-material; with which the I pockets are -covered,,whe n the. half-capsules are released from the. web. formed by the sheets, the equalization of forces between the two sheets of capsulating material results, in the production of a symmetrical capsule with the two similar portions sealed together. on a median plane Accords ing to the method disclosed inthe said.application, the resulting, shape. of the. symmetrical, generally ellipsoidal capsule can. bev precisely controlled by varying. the degree of pro-stressing of the'sheet of gelatin whichis to be pocketed-as well as by the selection. of proper shapes of the half-capsule pockets formed, therein. By varying the degree. ofstress. and by selecting. appropriate shapes. of. the pockets, finished generally ellipsoidal capsules. varying in 1 shape,. from spheres to lozenges, cainbeproduced.

In that application,..as.in the; instant. applica tion, the term generally ellipsoidal is. used to cover all solid shapes. produced. by revolving an ellipse on one of itsaaxes- 'Thus, a'sphere' falls within theterm because a circle is an ellipsewith v two axes of the. samev length.

This application is directed; toward. an. 3113-. paratus by means oil which the'process above summarized can be carried out. Brier-art cap sulating. a hine emp oy a s: o olle s or platesor dies eaehofwhich. i provided. with h n1$ule-diepockets and the two a e: brought int r eist y in. orden't'o mun anomplete capsul 2 The problems involved in the matching of two half-capsule die pockets are numerous and difficult to overcome. A brief examination of the prior art reveals. that this problem is one of the most difiicult which has been encountered in the capsulating art...

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide apparatus for the production of symmetr ical, generally ellipsoidal capsules in which only one die" pocket member is employed.

It is another object-of this invention to provide an apparatus. for the production of symetrical, generally ellipsoidal capsules from two sheets of resilient capsulating material only one of which is pocketed.

It is another object of this invention to employ the high orderof resiliency of capsulating ma,- terials such as gelatin in order to produce a symmetrical, generally ellipsoidal capsule from a half-capsule.

It is yet another object. of this invention to provide a machine in which the two sheets of capsulating material which are sealed together around the substance to be encapsulated can be preconditioned in order to precisely control the shape and size of the finished symmetrical capsule and to locate the plane of the junction between the. sheets. precisely on the midpoint of the finished capsule.

The mode of achieving these and other more specific objects and advantages will, be apparent from the drawings in'which:

Figure I is a, schematic illustration of a' capsulating machine embodying the instant invention as constructed for the production of symmertical, ellipsoidal capsules.

Figure IIis'a fragmentary view in elevation and on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the die roll employed in the machine illustrated in Figure I and showing hemispherical die pockets for the production of symmetrical, ellipsoidali capsules;

Figures III is'a verticalsectional view of -a half-capsuleproduced on'the die roll illustrated in Figure II after it is filled and sealed but before itis severed from thes'heets' of gelatin passing through the machine. i a

Figure IV is a vertical sectional view of one type of symmetrical generally ellipsoidal capsule produced on the apparatus shown in- Figure I'and shown after its half-capsule has been severed from the sheetsofmateriakand the physical re action provided for has taken place.

' Figure V isa view elevation of the capsule s n n i u N I Figure VIisa view similar to Figural]; but of semi-ellipsoidal die pockets designed for the fabrication of half-capsules for the production of symmetrical spherical capsules.

Figure VII is a view similar to Figure III but of a half-capsule produced in a die pocket such as those shown in Figure VI.

Figure VIII is a vertical sectional. view of a spherical capsule such as might result from the production of a half-capsule in the form illustrated in Figure VII.

Figure IX is a vertical sectional view of a symmetrical ellipsoidal capsule which may be produced on the machine shown in Figure I and employing die pockets such as are shown in Figure illustrated in Figures VII and VIII; A capsulating machine embodying the invention may comprise, among other parts, a rotatable die roll 1 which is mounted to rotate on a horizontal axis and has a plurality of pockets 2 cut in its periphery. It will be appreciated that although only one row of pockets is shown in Figure I, the number of die pockets 2 in the periphery of the roll I is limited solely by the diameter of the roll, the size of the capsules to be produced and the length of the roll. As is shown in Figure II, the die pockets 2 can be staggered and extend axially along the periphery of the die roll 1, covering substantially its entire surface.

Each of the die pockets 2 shown in Figures I and II is semi-spherical in shape and is bordered by a raised annular lip 3 which extends above the periphery of the roll l serving thus as a shearing edge as will later be described. The die roll l rotates on a shaft 4 in which is provided an exhaust manifold 5 and a pressure manifold 6. The exaust manifold 5 has a circumferentially extending port 'I which is in line with a plurality of radial passageways 8 each leading to the bottom of one die pocket 2 in a circumferentially extending row of die pockets. The pressure manifold 6 has an outlet orifice 9 which is in line with the same series of passsageways 8 and opens at a point somewhat beyond the end of the port I.

A pair of feeding rollers l0 and l l are mounted upon spaced horizontal axes parallel to the axis of the roll I and located at a level below the uppermost portion of the roll I. A sheet [2 of resilient capsulating material such as gelatin is led over the feeding rollers l0 and H and then upwardly and over the top of the die roll I. The exhaust manifold port I is so positioned that immediately after the sheet l2 of gelatin engages the surface of the die roll I, one of the passageways 8 reaches the port 1 and vacuum is applied to the corresponding pocket 2 to depress the gelatinous sheet l2 into the pocket. Because the sheet of gelatin is relatively taut between the feeding rollers Ill-H and the die roll I, this depression or pocket formed in the sheet is formed by stretching the sheet outwardly on a line generally perpendicular to its plane. This creates a substantially uniform stress within that portion of the gelatin sheet which, since it is 4 elastic, seeks to restore to its previous flat con-"- dition.

At a position one die pocket beyond the point at which the gelatin sheet'is depressed into a die pocket, there is located a feeding shoe l3 which is of sufiicient size to overlie one of the pockets 2 and is connected to a tank l4 equipped with a pump, not shown, for containing a bulk supply of the material to be encapsulated. The pump is so synchronized with the rotation of the die roll i that as each of the half-pockets pass beneath the feeding shoe l3 a measured amount of the material to be encapsulated is discharged into the halfcapsule pocket. By selecting the size of the diev pockets 2, the thickness of the gelatinous sheet l2, and the concentration of medicinal, pharmaceutical or other agent in the solution or paste contained within the supply tank It, each half-capsule can be charged with a pre-determined and carefully controlled amount of the active substance.

A smooth surfaced sealing roller l5, which also is mounted upon a horizontal axis, is located just beyond the feeding shoe l3 and serves to both feed a second sheet 16 of the encapsulating material and to seal the second sheet it to the first sheet l2 around the margins of the halfcapsules or filled pockets formed in the sheet 12. The feeding roller 15 is mounted upon a movable bracket II which can'be adjustably positioned relative to the die roll l by screw means l8 or similar mechanism and is driven by a belt l9 or similar mechanism with its surface travelling in the same'direction as the adjacent surface of the die roll i. Depending upon the thickness of the two sheets of capsulating material 42 and it, upon the temperature to which they are heated, and to a certain extent upon the degree of tackiness resulting from their particular formula, the position of the sealing roller I5 is varied to press it more or less tightly against the raised annular lips 3 on the pockets 2 to close the half-capsules.

A half-capsule comprising a flat portion of the sheet l6 and a pocketed portion of the sheet l2 and containing a quantity of substance 20, is now in the form shown in section in Figure III. fiecause the half-capsule is not yet severed from the main web formed by the sheets 12 and I6 and because the passageway 8 associated with the particular half-capsule pocket 2 still is connected to the exhaust port I, the half-capsule as illustrated in Figure III is retained in its die pockets 2 and maintained in its half-capsule shape.

As the die roll I continues to revolve the halfcapsule is maintained in that condition for a brief period of time thus to allow a slight degree of drying or setting of the annular sealed area surrounding the closed substance containing pocket. A cutting roller 21 which is somewhat similar to the sealing roller l5 and also has a smooth periphery is positioned to engage the two sheets of gelatinous material just after each pocket has been moved to a point where its vacuum passageway 8 no longer is in line with the exhaust port I. The cutting roller 2| is mounted upon a bracket or frame 22 and driven by a belt or similar means 23; The pressure between the cutting roller 2! and the sheets of gelatin [2 and i6 is controlled by screw means 24 or other similar mechanism.

As the sheets of gelatin l2 and H5 and their sealed half-capsules'pass beneath the surface of the cutting roller 2| the two sheets l2 and I6 are severed from the remaining web of gelatin smegma formedbythe two sheets I 2 aiid l6 b'y' pinching the sheets. against the annular lips 3 which surround the pockets 2. Immediately thereafter the passageways 8 of the pockets 1} line up with the respective orifices 9 of the pressure manifold 6'. The air blast ejects: the closed severed capsules from the half-capsule" pockets 2. As soon as the vacuum is released onthe pocketedi sheet and as the half-capsules are ejected from their respective pockets, the differential stress in the two sheets 12 and l6 equalizes, acting through the substance 2!] contained therein which hydrostatically transmits the force stored in-the pocketed or deformed sheet [2' to the previously fiat sheet It. The equalization of'the forces. between the two-sheets results-in an immediate changein shape from that shown in Figure III-ltd the symmetrical, generallyellipsoidal shape shown in Figure IV where the twosheets l2 and IS-are bulged to the same extent. Because the halfcapsule pockets 2 in the die roll arehemi'spherical'inshape' and because the depression of the sheet l2 therein creates. a relatively uniform amount of stretch throughout that portion of the sheet, a resulting capsule, as illustrated in Figures IV and V, is generally circular in elevation from one side and is a thin oval in its transverse planes. The parting line between'the two sheets 12 and it, however, lies almost precisely on the median plane of the capsule because the pre-pocketed sheet l2 and the generally flat sheet [6 are selected from the same type of material, of the same thickness and containing the same chemical substances so that the elasticity of both sheets is substantially the same and the force created by" the pocketing of one sheet is equalized between the sheets:

After the web formed by the sheets 12 and I6 leaves'the surface of the'die roll I and the capsules assume their symmetrical shape, they may yet cling to the "web because of the remaining tackiness of thegelatinousmateriali The web containing the capsules is, therefore, led down and around a pair of rollers 25-and 26 which pull theweb tightly against their-peripheries serving to force the capsules out of the web. The capsules then fall into a pan 2! or othercontainer where they' may be left to dry or' by means of which they may be carried" to packaging or other machinery.

Apparatus embodying the invention also is designed for the production of the more uniformly shaped capsule illustrated in Figures IX and X. In' order to achieve the final shape shown i'nFigures IX'and X, the sheet of gelatin M which is to be pocketed is'pre-stretched'longitudinally which results in there being a greater amount of force stored in thepocketed portions to act along one axis then the'amount'. of 'force stored therein to act along anaxis-at right angles thereto. This is" accomplishedby rotating the feedingrollers Iii and I l at such speed that the linear speed of the. gelatin travelling over. their surfacesisslightly less than the' linear speed of the gelatin travelling over the' pocketed die roll i'. This imparts a controlled degree of stretch to the span'of. the gelatin l Zextending between. the feeding roller H and the die roll I.. Meansror controlling the particular speed of'revolution of the feeding rollslii'and' H is not detailed in the drawings but may consist in any gearing 'or'belting which'may be variable in any of'the manners well-known in the art. a When-this pre-longitudinal stretching of the pocketed sheet-- of gelatin has takerr'place, it" is pocketed to thesame extentbyheihg suckedinto the half-capsule pockets: 2.. The half-capsule pockets are filled: with thesazne amount ofi material to-be encapsulatedl The halfi-caps'ule pock ets are sealed and severedin the: manner already described. As soon: as :thehal-f capsul'es ar'e relieved, the force stored in the pocketed and stretched sheet of: gelatin F2 actsion: the unpocketed and less stretched sheet of gelatin l-G to equalize the degreeof bulge the two sheets. Inasmuch as the pocketed" sheet I2 has: been stretched toagreater degree than' isnecessary for the production of the capsules shown in Figures IV and V andparticularly since the-sheet E2 of gelatin isstretched considerably moi-elongitudinally than transversely, the force resolves itself in bulging the capsule'to a greater degree in one direction than the other. Consequently; the finished capsules have an oval elevation as shown in Figure X' and are slightlysmaller in sizethan the capsules shown in Figures 'IV and V to contain the same quantity of encapsulated substance. Again, howeverthe two sheets of gelatin [2 and I6 are bulged to=thesame-degree and the junction line between them again lies on a median plane.

When it is desired to produce spherical capsules on the apparatus schematically shown in Figure I a changein die-pocket design is necessary. A die roll 28 suitableforthe production of spherical capsules on an apparatus embodying the invention is shown in elevation in Figure The sole difierencebetweenthe die roll 28 of Figure VI and the diero'll l of Figures l? and II liesin the shape of the halt-capsule pockets Half-capsule pockets 26 of the die roll- 28 are elliptical in elevation and are semi-ellipsoids rather than hemispheres: The longer axes" of the semi-ellipsoidal pockets extend circumferentially of the die roll 28 which; as the case of the die roll in Figure I'I, rotates inthe direction of the arrows in these figure's. Each-of thesemiellipsoidal pockets 29fis surrounded by a raised lip 38 corresponding shape and function to the lips 3 of thepockets Z? In. order to produce the-spherical capsules shown in Figure VI II; the-sheet P2 of gelatin again is pre-stretchedlongitudinallyby rotating thefeeding rollers N] and H at a" lower linear speed than the linear'speed of rotation'of the'die r011 28. After the sheet hasbeen depressed into the semi-ellipsoidal pockets 29 filled" with a quantity of substance-2'0,- capped" bythe less stretched generally flat sheet l6 and sealed around the margins of the filled? pockets, the half-capsules have a cross" section on' a plane perpendicular totheax-isof the die roll 2 8 such as is shown in- Figure VII on an enlarged scale.

As soon as the semi-ellipsoidal capsules or half capsules shown in Figure VII" are released, 1. e1, after they are cutfrom the sheets-'ofgelatin l2 and I6 and" ejected from" the hal'f capsul'e pockets 29, the-equalization of forcesbetween the two sheets'of' gelatin I'Zand" lb' again takes place and the resulting capsule assumes an almost perfect spherical shape as" shown Figure VIII. This-results from theia'ct' that a much greater force is stored in the gelatin aiengthe longer axis of the half-capsule'shown'in Figure VII than is stored in theaxis perpendicularthereto. Consequently, the restoring action along the-- longer axis results in pulling the capsulating" material inwardly a greater degree" and; through the hy drostatic force transmission of the sheets I2 and I8; results' in the capsule talih'gr the smallest shape which will enclose the given amount of encapsulated substance, i. e., a sphere. By controlling the degree of pre-stretching of the pocketed sheet l2, the subsequent equalization of forces upon release of each sealed half-capsule can be precisely determined to result in an almost perfect sphere.

' The apparatus which has been described and the operation of which has been set forth above, has been illustrated only diagrammatically inasmuch as all operating elements thereof with the exception of their particular design and the mode in which they are operated are known in the art. The invention herein consists in an apparatus for the production of symmetrical, generally ellipsoidal capsules which may have axes of identical lengths or of diiferent lengths through the use of a single pocketed die roll and means for pocketing the gelatin in the die roll, charging the half-capsule pockets with substance to be encapsulated, sealing the charged halfcapsule pockets with a second sheet of gelatin, and severing the sealed half-capsules from the sheets of material as set forth in the claims below.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die roll system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a dieroll having die pockets in its surface and raised lips circumscribing said die pockets, means for feeding a continuous lower sheet of gelatinous elastic material over and in contact with said die roll, means for depressing said sheet into said die pockets a distance sufficient to produce pockets of definite volume in said sheet, means for filling said pockets with a completed capsule sized charge of the substance to be encapsulated, means comprising a smooth periphery roll rotating on an axis parallel tothe l axis of the die roll, withits periphery in contact with said lips and moving at the same surface speed and in the same direction as said lips at the line of contact for feeding a second continuous sheet of unpocketed gelatinous elastic material over the said lower sheet containing the filled pockets and sealing the two sheets of elastic material together around the edges of said pockets and substantially severing the thus formed filled capsules from the residual webs of sheet material, and meansembodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

2. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die roll system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a die roll having die pockets in its surface and raised lips having generally cylindrical peripheral surfaces and circumscribing said die pockets, means for feeding a continuous lower sheet of elastic material over and in contact with said die roll, means for depressing said sheet into said pockets to produce pockets of uniform volume in said material and an internal stress in said sheet, means for filling said pockets with a completed capsule size charge of the substance to be encapsulated, a smooth surface roll for feeding a second less stressed continuous unpocketed sheet of elastic material over the filled pockets, said smooth surface roll engaging the said lips through the sheets of elastic material around the edges of said pockets, means for ejecting the filled sealed capsules from said die pockets and separating the capsules from the residual web of sheet material, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

3. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die roll system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a die roll having die pockets in its surface and raised lips circumscribing said pockets, means for feeding a sheet of elastic material over said die roll, vacuum operated means for stretching said elastic material into said die pockets to produce pockets of uniform volume in said sheet, means for filling said pockets with uniform completed capsule size charges of the substance to be encapsulated, and means comprising a smooth seal roll for feeding a second sheet of substantially unstressed unpocketed elastic material over the filled pockets and for sealing the two sheets of elastic material together around the edges of said pockets and for severing the thus formed filled capsules from the residual portions of the two sheets of elastic material, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

4. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die roll system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a die roll having die pockets in its surface and raised lips circumscribing said die pockets, means for feeding a sheet of elastic material over said die roll, means for stretching said elastic material into said die pockets to produce pockets of uniform volume in said sheet, means for filling said pockets with uniform measured completed capsule size charges of the substance to be encapsulated, a smooth periphery roll for feeding a second sheet of unpocketed elastic material over the filled pockets and for sealing the two sheets of elastic material together around the edges of said pockets and means for separating the filled capsules from the residual portions of the two sheets of elastic material, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

5. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die roll system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in comage-carat bination, a: 'die' ranhaving die-poc ets in its saface and a raised {lip circumscribing eachofsaid die pockets, means for feeding a sheet of gelatinous capsulating materiajlstretclied in the longitudinal direction onlyover said die roll, vacuum means for depressing said sheet intosaid die pockets, means for depositing a measuredcompleted capsule size charge-of substance to be encapsulated into each "of saidpockets, means including a smooth surface roll for feeding a second unpocketed substantially smooth less stretched sheet of material 'overthe filled pockets and forsealing the two sheets of capsulating material' around the, peripheries of the pocketssaid smooth surface roll engaging the saidlips through the sheets of capsulating materialyforsevering the filled sealed capsules from thesh eets around the peripheries of the sealed capsules and means for separating the thus formed capsules from residual portions of the sheets, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respectiveinitially formed.

asymmetrical capsules is under sufliciently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules'the said greatertensioned portion acts through the capsulecontents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a "substantially symmetrical capsule.

6. Apparatus for forming substantially "symmetrical capsules from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating ,material comprising, in combination, a die rol-l having staggered rows of die pockets in its surface and a raised lip circumscribing each of said die pockets,

means for rotating such die roll,,means for feeding a continuous lower sheet of capsulating ma- 'terial at a lower speed than the surface-speed of said die roll to said die roll, thereby stretching said sheet, a vacuum leadlto'each of said-pockets in said die roll for deforming said sheet into said pockets, substance depositing means for depositing a measured charge of substance tobe encapsulated-into each of said-pockets, and sealing andsevering means, including a smooth surface roll engaging said lips through the sheets, I

for feeding a second less stretched sheet on a converging path and over the filled pockets, for severing said filled and sealed capsules :from the residual portions of thesheets so that unequally stretched portions of the-two sheets are cutout and sealed to each other to term capsules so that as the difference in internal stress from stretching in the cut out portions is equalized, the less stretched portion is bulged and the stretched portion contracts, forming a symmetrical generally ellipsoidal capsule having two equal halves joined on a median plane.

7. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric die r011 system from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a power driven cylindrical die roll having a plurality of die pockets cut in its periphery and a raised lip circumscribing each of said die pockets, a vacuum lead to each of said pockets, means to attach each lead in turn to a source of vacuum, power driven feeding rollers rotated at a linear surface speed slower than the linear surface speed of rotation of said die roll for feeding a sheet of capsulating material over the surface of said die roll and for imparting a selected amount of longitudinal stretch thereto, a substance supply, means for transferring measured charges of substance from said supply and depositing a completed capsule size charge into each of the pockets in; said sheet, a smooth surface sheets of capsulating material, and a second smooth roll for severing said sealed capsules from the sheets, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules-is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed' portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tens-ioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

8. Apparatus for forming substantially sy-mmetrical capsules from-continuous strips ofgelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, aypower driven, cylindrical die roll having a horizontal axis and a plurality of staggered rows of die pocketscutin its periphery, a raised lip c'ircumscribing each 7 of said die pockets, vacuum manifold means in said roll having leads to each of said die pockets, power driven feeding rollers, rotated at a linear surface speed slower than the linear surface speed of rotation of said die roll and located at a level below the upper part of, said die roll for feeding a sheet of capsulating material up over the surfaceof said 'die'roll and forimparting a selected amount of longitudinal stretch thereto, valve means for controlling said vacuum manifold means to pull said sheet intov each of said die pockets-before said pocket reaches the uppermost pointof rotation of' said die roll to form semi-ellipsoidal pockets therein, a substance-supply, means, for transferring a measured charge of substance from said Supply and depositing it into each said semi-ellipsoidal "pocket when said pocket is generally horizontal at the 'topof said die roll, a smooth surface feeding roller fort-eeriing a second sheet over the charged pockets and for sealing the two sheets together around't'he margins 'of said pocketsimmediatey following the charging thereof, and means spaced from said feeding and sealing roller a distance suificient to provide for partial dryfmg'of the sealed stirfaces of said sheets for ejecting sealed capsules from the sheets, whereby the longitudinal'stretch in the portion'o'f the capsule formed from the lower sheet causes the formed capsule to assume a symmetrical shape.

9. Apparatus for forming symmetrical capsules in an asymmetric roll system from two continuous sheets of gelatinous elastic material comprising, in combination, only one rotary die roll with die pockets cut in its periphery and a raised lip circumscribing each of said die pockets; a smooth periphery sealing roll engaging the lips on said die pockets through the sheets and rotating in a direction contra to the direction of rotation of said die roll, the axes of said die roll and said sealing roll being parallel; means for feeding two sheets of elastic capsulating material to the peripheries of said die roll and said sealing roller; drive means, for said means for feeding, which causes the die roll contacting sheet to be stretched prior to its engagement with the periphery of said die roll; means for depressing said stretched sheet into said die pockets to form substance receiving pockets of uniform volume there in; means for depositing a measured completed capsule size charge of the substance to be encapsulated in each of said pockets prior to the engagement of said sheets between said die roll and said sealing roll, such engagement acting to seal said sheets together against said lips; means for severing the filled capsules from the combined strips, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the unpocketed portion that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule contents to deform said unpocketed portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule. v I

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the die roll has internal exhaust leads to the bottom of each of the die pockets and that includes means for applying vacuum to said leads to each die pocket for forming pockets of definite volume in said sheet for the reception therein of substance to be encapsulated.

11. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material comprising, in combination, a die roll having die pockets in its surface, a complemental sealing roll, means for feeding a strip of capsulating material over each roll with the strips converging together in sealing relation between the rolls, the

strip over the sealing roll being advanced thereover in substantially fiat form, means effective in advance of said convergence for deforming the strip advancing over said die roll into said pockets, means likewise effective in advance of said convergence for depositing a measured charge of substance to be encapsulated into each of said formed pockets, means for severing the filled capsules from the combined strips, and means embodied in said apparatus for ensuring that the pocketed portion of the respective initially formed asymmetrical capsules is under sufficiently greater tension than the complemental portion such that upon release of the capsules the said greater tensioned portion acts through the capsule con tents to deform said complemental portion and produce a substantially symmetrical capsule.

12. Apparatus for forming substantially symmetrical capsules from continuous strips of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material com- I prising, in combination, a die roll having die pockets in its surface and raised lips circumscribing the respective die pockets, means ineluding a feed roll for feeding a first strip-o1 capsulating material to said die roll for advance over the periphery thereof at a predetermined lower surface speed than the surface speed of said die roll thereby to pre-tension longitudinally said strip as delivered to said die roll, means for deforming said strip into said pockets, means for depositing a measured charge of substance to be encapsulated into each of said formed pockets, a complemental sealing roll arranged peripherally adjacent said die roll, means for feeding a second strip of capsulating material over said sealing roll in a less pre-tensioned condition than the said first strip as fed to said die roll, said strips converging and being sealed together between said die roll and sealing roll to form unsymmetrical sealed capsules adapted upon release to assume a symmetrical shape resulting from the unequal stress in the opposed portions thereof.

13. In encapsulating apparatus, in combination, a die roll having pockets in its surface, a sealing roll having a smooth surface, a continuous content-receiving strip of gelatinous elastic sheet capsulating material passing over said pocketed roll, a continuous covering strip of similar material passing over said smooth roll, said rolls being inverted on parallel axes to converge said strips in sealing relation at the bite of said rolls, means for stretching said content-receiving strip to conform with said pockets, means to deposit a measured charge of substance to be encapsulated into each of said conformed pockets of said content-receiving strip, and means to ensure that the tension of said stretched strip pockets and the tension of said covering strip are diiferentially correlated to effect an automatic postsealed equilibrium by contraction of the pocket walls and extension of the cover walls when said walls become substantially symmetrical.

ALFONSO M. DONOFRIO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,001,792 Lombi May 21, 1935 2,152,101 Scherer Mar. 28, 1939 2,199,210 Scherer Apr. 30, 1940 2,219,578 Pittenger Oct. 29, 1940 2,227,728 Lombi Jan. 7, 1941 2,323,581 Weckesser July 6, 1943 2,387,747 Cowley Oct. 30, 1945 2,490,781 Cloud Dec. 13, 1949 

